Searching for the Christ Child in Christmas Chaos

Christmas...even the word Christmas has a way of evoking strong emotions and pleasant memories. Ask someone about Christmas and he or she may begin sharing stories of warm fires and joyous caroling, of special handmade gifts and the laughter of children, of bright lights and soft music, of reaching out to others in kindness.

Christmas is a time of gathering with loving friends and family, a time of joy and peace. We pause in the midst of everyday events and remember that the Christ Child has been born, and everything is right in the world. Remember for a moment the lyrics of one of our best-loved carols: "Silent night! Holy night! All is calm; All is bright . . ."

Unfortunately this picture-perfect Christmas is rarely experienced in our society. Christmas is anything but calm. Often, it is a time of exhaus-tion. There are simply too many parties and activities to attend, too many gifts to buy, too many cookies to bake, too many decorations to hang and too many rooms to clean. When Christmas Day arrives, we often feel relief rather than abundant joy.

Christmas is also a time of depression and guilt. Bombarded with media images of a "good" Christmas and faced with strained budgets and uneasy family situations, our celebrations rarely fulfill the media's images of a "good" Christmas. And when Christmas is over, we can feel immense guilt that we've let ourselves and our celebration of this holy day be exploited once again.

When faced with pressures from our culture, the marketplace, our families and even ourselves, we can forget whose birthday we celebrate. Unrealistic expectations and demands can rob Christmas of its power to renew the human spirit.

But what can we do? Although there are no miraculous remedies, we can find ways to resist cultural pressures and to focus our celebrations on the birth of Christ.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Families:

• RESTRICT EXPOSURE TO MEDIA. Use the weeks before Christmas to develop a "spirituality of cultural resistance." Watch less television. Spend less time in shopping malls. Throw away Christmas catalogs.
• SIMPLIFY YOUR CELEBRATIONS. Cut out unnecessary activities. Don't overburden yourself with Christmas events and preparations. Let your Advent activities focus on preparing for the birth of Christ, not on preparing for a lavish celebration. Set limits and stick to them.
• TURN TO ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE LESS CONSUMER-ORIENTED. Spend time in personal, quiet reflection. Spend time with family, friends and those in need. Use the weekly sessions with those in your household or small group. (See page 5.) Set aside time each day to use the Advent calendar. (See inside cover.)
• REMEMBER THOSE WHOM CHRIST CAME TO SERVE. Give gifts appropriate to the celebration of Christ's birth. Remember the hungry, the thirsty, the naked and the imprisoned in your holiday gift-giving. Make meaningful gifts for family and friends. Give of your time and talents. (See page 13.)

Church Leaders:

• MAKE THIS BOOKLET AVAILABLE TO ALL THE HOUSEHOLDS IN YOUR PARISH. If you don't have the money in your church's budget to purchase booklets, you can ask each family to "pitch in" or you can plan a fundraising event or special offering.
• ENCOURAGE CHRISTMAS STEWARDSHIP. Call attention to the alternative giving information on pages 13-15.
• PLAN OTHER CHRISTMAS EVENTS IN YOUR CONGREGATION. Offer support for families and individuals who are trying to resist cultural pressures by planning special Christmas plays, presentations, study groups and gatherings in the church. (See page 28 for additional resources.)

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